Prescription Renewal Fee – FAQs

Clarifications and Examples:

Multiple medications on a single prescription request count as only one For example, if a patient requests 5 medications at once, the fee is $20 (not $100).
If a patient calls in for a medication one day, and then again the next day (or even a few hours later), that counts as 2 separate requests, $20 each.
If a patient requests a prescription renewal, even if he/she should still have repeats, Dr. Stewart will renew a fresh prescription as requested and the fee applies.
The fee applies to all of telephone, voicemail, or online requests.

Booking Prescription Renewal Visits:

For patients who need simple Prescription Renewal Visits, the goal is to guarantee an appointment before the patient’s medications are due, providing the patient has followed our policy of allowing TWO BUSINESS DAYS for any prescription request.
If we offer appointment options, but the patient declines them, that is the patient’s choice and a fee is still applicable if the patient requests a renewal without a visit.
If it ends up that Dr. Stewart does not have any available spots to offer before the patient’s prescription renewal comes due, then the fee will be waived.

Prescriptions Requests from Pharmacy:

Stewart’s office has always had a general policy that they do not accept prescription requests from pharmacies, except for patients who are require blister packs.
Now that fees apply to the patient, it must be the patient who initiates the request and agrees to the fee. Stewart will no longer accept prescription requests from pharmacies either, not even for blister packs.

Exceptions When the Fee may be Waived or Pharmacy Requests Accepted:

Stewart will make exceptions on a case by case basis and waive/reduce the fee in special circumstances, such as:
- Frail, elderly, patients, or those with dementia, who cannot easily come in for a visit.
- Patients with severe financial strain (but even they have the option of coming in for a visit).
- Urinary Tract Infection Protocol patients (see below).
- Patients on Warfarin (Coumadin) (see below).
- Patients who cannot be offered a Prescription Renewal Visit before their medication is due.
Exemptions may simply be one-time only. For instance, Dr. Stewart might waive the fee for a patient one month, but three months later, he may need to see that same patient in person for assessment so that patient should come in for a visit, not renew over phone.

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Protocol:

The UTI protocol was implemented with the intention of saving needless visits.
A further distinction is that a UTI Protocol prescription is not a prescriptions “renewal”.
Accordingly, UTI Protocol prescriptions are exempt from requiring a fee for the prescription without a visit.
However, if there are any Red Flags on the Urine Dip Protocol, then the patient should be seen for assessment.

Warfarin (Coumadin) Prescriptions:

Warfarin Rx’s will be exempt from the fee.
The rationale here is that patients may frequently require dose changes, which is not within their control and repeated visits to reassess a simple dose change are not medically necessary.

After-Hours Clinics:

Patients may need to come in to an after-hours clinic for a simple Prescription Renewal Visits.
It is acceptable for Dr. Stewart’s patients to book these appointments during After-Hours Clinics that Dr. Stewart is running.
However, patients are not allowed to use the After Hours Clinic spots of the other doctors for this purpose.